


Feels Like A Pantomime

by BakerGrey



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Angst, Happy Ending, Kisses, Love Confession, M/M, Narry - Freeform, Promise
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-21
Updated: 2014-09-21
Packaged: 2018-02-18 07:43:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,868
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2340554
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BakerGrey/pseuds/BakerGrey
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Chest pains shouldn't end like this (Luckily yours don't)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Feels Like A Pantomime

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for the prompt. I've changed the ending because it was fucking killing me.

It’s supposed to be the ‘Best Song Ever’.

Only Harry’s got a line coming up and it’s hard to concentrate with the pull that’s coming from his chest.

He lifts a hand to it as he turns his back on the crowd to wince.

It doesn’t pass but he focuses on the shine of the lights above the audience and gets his part out.

Zayn catches it out of the corner of his eye, the discomfort on Harry’s face, uses the chorus as an opportunity to move to his side.

The darker haired boy takes a breath before leaning in quickly

“You okay?” He asks and Harry pulls his lips over his teeth to smile tightly as he nods.

Zayn doesn’t want to cause a commotion on stage even if he knows Harry’s not being completely honest.

He leaves it be and lets the curly haired boy get on with it.

It is their job at the end of the day; they’re getting paid to deliver.

That doesn’t stop the Asian boy from throwing Liam a warning look, with a quick toss of his head in Haz’s direction.

At first it takes him a moment to get it, but then he’s looking over at his band mate wearing a bandana with curiosity, trying to suss out what Zayn’s telling him.

As Harry belts out a note, Liam can see the small grimace he forms.

“Throat?” He mouths at Zayn once he’s got his attention.

Zayn points to his chest instead and Liam’s mouth forms an ‘O’.

There’s real worry settled into the darker haired boy’s eyes.

Liam feels at a loss, there’s nothing he can do about it right now.

 

****

 

Once it’s over Niall’s by his side.

“What was that out there?”

And of course Niall has to notice everything Harry wishes he wouldn’t.

“Nothing,” he shrugs.

The ache’s gone now anyway.

“Didn’t look like nothing,” Louis pipes in and suddenly all four of them are around him, huddled close backstage.

“I’m fine!” Harry claims with a dramatic sigh.

Louis glances over him with doubt and then at Zayn as if he’s the one who’s got all the answers.

“Don’t lie to us Hazza,” Niall murmurs.

“I’m not,” Harry flashes a smile “It was just a bit of heartburn, honest.”

“You sure?” Liam presses.

And then Harry’s rolling his eyes and telling them that he’s going back to the hotel to sleep it off.

 

****

 

He doesn’t make it into bed.

He’s halfway done changing when a surge of pain hits him horizontally across his chest bone.

Harry clutches at it and tries to take in a deep breath.

Only it’s not working and he can feel his vision haze over.

His feet stumble and he grasps at air as his knees buckle and the rest of his body follows.

It only stops hurting once his eyes close and all he can see is black.

 

****

 

“Something’s not right about this,” Louis comments to the rest of the lads as they file into the car.

“You should have seen his face, I’m no doctor, but that sure as hell didn’t look like heart burn,” Zayn grumbles.

“You think he was lying?” Liam questions, wishes Harry would be more open about these sorts of things.

“Aren’t we at least going to give him the benefit of the doubt?” Niall frets, but he knows Harry well enough to be able to tell when the curly haired boy is fibbing.

“We shouldn’t have let him leave on his own,” Zayn admits finally and Louis takes it upon himself to give him a reassuring pat on the back.

 

****

 

Niall finds him.

They’re sharing a room and he’s eager to check up on the younger boy.

His heart stops a little when he sees Harry sprawled across the floor.

He’s face down and Niall thinks that he’s never seen anything more frightening than this.

_He needs help._

And then adrenaline kicks in and he’s pounding on Zayn’s door with a force that’ll bruise his knuckles.

“What is it?” Zayn groans as he pulls it open.

The look on Niall’s face pretty much says it all.

Zayn doesn’t need to see that expression twice to know it’s serious.

He follows Niall the short distance across the hall.

“Shit,” Zayn goes into panic mode “Go get Liam and Lou, I need to call for an ambulance.”

Niall does as he’s told; gives Harry’s lifeless body a backward glance.

 

****

 

An hour later they’re at the nearest hospital.

The four of them waiting outside Harry’s room impatiently, crowded by security.       

“I knew it wasn’t heart burn,” Zayn sounds angry “I just knew it.”

“It’s not your fault,” Liam comforts, but the look Zayn gives him is desperate.

Niall stays quiet.

Which is rare for him.

But he can’t help replaying the scene in his head, finding Harry so vulnerable.

He’s pacing the length of the corridor back and forth, holding the coffee he’s been given.

Another hour passes and it’s pure agony for them all.

Because against all odds they’re the tightest unit.

By the time the doctor finally comes out, Liam’s probably chewed the inside of his cheek to shreds.

She’s a petite woman, with greying hair and circular glasses.

She doesn’t smile when she catches sight of them all.

“How is he?” Lou asks her before she can open her mouth to speak.

“He’s awake,” The doctor tells them, before she’s taking off her glasses and putting them in her overcoat pocket.

“Why don’t you boys sit down,” She suggests.

“Why can’t we go in and see him?” Zayn asks, and if his tone sounds rude it’s not purposeful.

“You’re going to need to hear this first.”

“What is it?” Niall gulps and he has to inhale a deep breath to maintain his calm.

“Harry has what we call Heart Valve Disease, wherein his heart valves are not working in the way they should. With regards to Mr Styles the cause is currently unknown.”

Liam sits down then, and Louis follows.

Niall can’t move; feels like he might cough up his own lungs.

The doctor watches them with a sorry look.

“It’s pretty extensive, he’s going to need surgery, and without it this could very well be fatal.”

“Fuck this,” Zayn grunts “I need a fag,” and pushes past her down towards the exit.

“I suggest you go in one at a time, he’s still feeling very weak.”

The three of them nod.

“You go Ni, I’m gonna sit here with Payno for a bit,” Louis tells him.

Liam looks whiter than Niall’s ever seen him.

Niall gives it a minute before entering the room.

Harry smiles when he sees him.

“Heart disease eh? Who’d have thought?”

Niall doesn’t laugh at his attempt to make light of it.

He sits by Harry’s feet.

“Nialler?”

Harry looks at him, notices that his eyes are looking red.

“Hey,” Harry’s voice softens “I’m going to be fine.”

Niall knows he’s probably over reacting but it’s so sudden and his eyes are running.

“Think about it this way, if I die you get more solos.”

Niall glares at him.

“Don’t say shit like that, I don’t know what I’d do if I-”

He doesn’t want to take this to _that_ territory.

The one where he tiptoes around his budding feelings for the boy.

Things have been different between them lately and he knows Harry can sense it too.

Harry reaches forward to take his hand.

“Sorry you had to find me like that.”

“Scared the crap out of me,” Niall chuckles, but it’s tainted by his tears.

“I’ve always had a dramatic flair about me,” Harry smiles but the grimace he pulls is enough to make Niall want to confess his undying love for him.

“Why didn’t you tell us that it wasn’t heart burn?”

“I didn’t know Ni, I swear.”

“You’re having surgery.”

“As soon as possible, I’ll be right as rain again, just you wait and see.”

 

****

 

It’s early morning by the time they’re forced back to their hotel.

They don’t sleep.

Just sit together in Liam’s room whilst Zayn smokes out the window.

Louis doesn’t have the heart to tell him off about it.

“I don’t understand why we’re not allowed to stay with him,” Zayn grits out.

“Because we’re not family,” Liam sighs lowly.

“That’s bullshit, we’ll always be family, we’re his brothers.”

“You know that’s not what I meant.”

“Yeah,” Zayn breathes “Yeah, sorry I just-”

“It’s okay,” Liam tells him.

They can’t be at each other throats right now.

“He’ll get through this,” Niall says without hesitation “It’s Harry, he’ll have to.”

 

****

 

Harry has to wait two weeks for his surgical procedure.

The boys call off all concerts and it’s plastered over every social media website.

He gets lots of support from the fans but it doesn’t stop the nerves in his gut.

He’s been restricted to bed rest, which he doesn’t really get because it’s his heart that’s the problem, not his legs.

Niall’s different around him.

All the boys are.

But Niall the most.

He doesn’t tease him about his hair anymore, or try to poke at his dimples.

Just stares at Harry a lot with blue eyes.

Until one day Harry can’t take it anymore and he needs to get out.

He manages to get down to the lobby before Niall’s already grabbing at his shoulder.

“Are you fucking crazy?”

“I need some fresh air.”

“You shouldn’t be out of bed.”

“Niall, please, just one minute, that’s all I’m asking.”

“Okay.”

The hotel has a pool.

It’s empty and they both sit with their feet dipping into the cold water.

“You’ve been acting weird.”

He can see Niall swallow out of the corner of his eye.

“Yeah,” the blonde admits.

“You four really are a bunch of babies.”

“We care about you,” He explains “I care about you… a lot.”

“I guess this proves how quickly life can change.”

“I’m trying to tell you something here Haz.”

“Me too.”

“ I’m in love with you,” Niall blurts because he’s got nothing to lose at this point.

“I know,” Harry smiles.

“You do?”

“I’ve been waiting for you to tell me for months.”

“Oh.”

Niall is blushing.

Harry grips at his hand and brings it up to his lips.

“I love you too.”

 

****

 

The day of his operation arrives.

They all share the longest group hug in the hospital room.

Zayn squeezes at Harry for an extra second.

“Don’t die yeah?”

Harry looks at the other three over Zayn’s shoulder

“I’ll try.”

Zayn releases him and sniffles slightly.

“Ni, come here.”

“Yeah?”

Harry connects their lips for a short second.

“You’ll always be my favourite,” He whispers.

Niall strokes at his cheek.

“I’ll see you soon boys,” He promises and they all hug at each other again.

 

****

 

He makes it, obviously. Tells them a stupid joke when they all come to see him.

Niall laughs the loudest because he always does, really wants Harry to know how much he appreciates him. 

"Was proper scared," Niall murmurs to him when they're alone.

Harry smiles so bright that his cheek is dimple dented.

"Was always gonna be coming back to you Ni."

He doesn't doubt it.

**Author's Note:**

> My tumblr is Narrywillbethedeathofme if you want to submit prompts :)


End file.
